As Nazi Germany begins its invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, What's After the Movie follows the tense and perilous journey of Axel Bomasch, a dedicated Czechoslovak scientist producing a revolutionary type of armor-plate. With his country falling under German control, Axel is swiftly evacuated to Britain for his safety. However, tragedy strikes as his daughter, Anna, Margaret Lockwood, is detained just before she can board her flight out of the country. She is sent straight to a concentration camp, where she faces intense interrogations from Nazi officials determined to extract information about her father and his research.
Throughout her captivity, Anna remains resolute and refuses to cooperate with her captors. During her imprisonment, she forges a bond with Karl Marsen, a fellow detainee claiming to be a teacher imprisoned for his political beliefs. Unknown to her, Karl Marsen Paul Henreid is secretly a Gestapo agent assigned to infiltrate her trust and locate Axel. Despite his true intentions, Marsen cunningly persuades Anna to escape with him, and together they manage to evade Nazi authorities and reach safety in London.
Once in Britain, Anna follows Marsen’s cryptic advice and places a public newspaper advertisement, hoping it will catch her father's attention. Soon after, she receives an anonymous phone call providing instructions to go to the town of Brightbourne. There, she contacts Dickie Randall, a resourceful British intelligence officer portrayed by Rex Harrison Rex Harrison, who is operating undercover as an entertainer named Gus Bennett. With his assistance, they locate her father, Dr. John Fredericks, who is working for the Royal Navy at a secret naval base called Dartland.
Anna’s tense reunion with her father sparks a heated debate when she attempts to send a letter to Marsen, risking the exposure of their plans. Her efforts are watched closely, as Dr. Fredericks is being monitored by Major Ulrich Herzog, an undercover Nazi agent played by Howard Marion-Crawford. Intelligence from Dr. Fredericks’s contacts leads to a daring kidnapping orchestrated by Marsen, who takes both Anna and her father back to Germany aboard a U-boat. Once in Germany, they face the brutal threat of being forced to work for the Nazis; Bomasch is coerced into providing his scientific expertise, while Anna faces potential imprisonment in a concentration camp if she does not comply.
Understanding the danger, Dickie Randall devises a daring plan to rescue them. Disguised as Major Ulrich Herzog, he infiltrates the German facility where the Bomasches are held and tricks Captain Prada and Admiral Hassinger into believing he is a trusted ally who can persuade Anna to influence her father’s cooperation. To maintain his cover, he spends a night in Anna’s hotel, and their plan hinges on the hope that they can smuggle the Bomasches out, especially as they are scheduled to be moved to Munich.
The situation intensifies at the railway station, where Randall is recognized by Caldicott and Charters, two British nationals attempting to leave Germany. Before they can escape, Marsen and his men attempt to arrest Randall, leading to a dramatic chase through the German mountains. Recognizing the imminent threat, Randall swaps places with Marsen after overpowering his personnel, allowing him to commandeer a vehicle and pursue a daring escape on the mountain roads. The chase leads to an aerial tramway that spans into neutral Switzerland, providing a last-ditch opportunity for Anna and Randall to escape while Marsen and his agents are left behind.
The climax of the film involves an intense confrontation as Randall faces off against Marsen — who attempts to prevent him from reaching safety. Despite Marsen’s efforts, including reversing the tram and exchanging gunfire, Randall manages to outsmart him, shooting Marsen in the leg and escaping into the relative safety of Switzerland. As the trams reach the other side, Randall and Anna embrace, ending their harrowing ordeal with a sense of victory and hope for the future amid the chaos of war.
What's After the Movie captures the complexities of espionage, sacrifice, and resilience during one of history’s most tumultuous times, intertwining personal stories with the broader context of war, espionage, and heroism. Every step, from Anna’s daring escape to Randall’s courageous infiltration, underscores the dangers faced by those fighting behind enemy lines, emphasizing themes of loyalty, bravery, and the unyielding pursuit of freedom.
